After searching through the forums for any posts related to doppelgangers and their skills, I could not find the answer that I've been looking for. So I'll ask it of the community myself.
For a new home-brew campaign setting that I'm writing up, I'm trying to convert a character that appears in several of my personal stories into a PFRPG villain. The intent is to start with a doppelganger and then add a few levels of rogue until he qualifies for Master Spy.
However, I'm having some difficulty figuring out how many ranks a standard doppelganger holds in the Perception skill. With a Wisdom of only 14, his modifier to this skills should only by +2; with only 4 HD, as far as I know he could only have up to 4 ranks in any skill. Yet, his total Perception modifier is listed at +9 - when it seems to me that it couldn't be anything higher than +6! I've scoured through the entry in the Bestiary for an explanation, from feats to special abilities, but I cannot find an explanation for the extra 3 points in his Perception modifier. Was this a type on Paizo's part, or a I missing some vague (or perhaps glaring) piece to the puzzle? Does the HD-to-Max-Rank ratio not apply to monsters like it does PC's, and the creators at Paizo simply dumped more skill ranks than I'm assuming into it?
You're forgetting the class skill bonus. As a monstrous humanoid, Perception is a class skill for dopplegangers.
And you sir, are a gentlemen and a scholar.
That's what I get for playing two 3.5 campaigns and only one Pathfinder campaign a week. LOL
Bah. Excuse the empty post above. Computer hiccup.
Anyway. This does beg a question I never really had an answer to. In d20/PFRGP, are actual increases to Intelligence retroactive as far as how many skill points you get? IE, does a 4th level character whose INT increases from 13 to 14 suddenly have 4 extra skill points to spend? Or do these increases only affect levels earned thereafter?
More prudently, as per the guidelines in the Bestiary, I've increases the character's ability scores by +4, +4, +2, +2, +0, and -2 before adding class levels; one of those +4's went to INT; does he get these extra skill ranks for his racial HD, or only for his subsequent class levels?
Anyway. This does beg a question I never really had an answer to. In d20/PFRGP, are actual increases to Intelligence retroactive as far as how many skill points you get? IE, does a 4th level character whose INT increases from 13 to 14 suddenly have 4 extra skill points to spend? Or do these increases only affect levels earned thereafter?
In Pathfinder, skills points are earned retroactively. A 4th level character who increases his intelligence from 13 to 14 does gain 4 skill points. 3.5 D&D specifically said skill points were not retroactive - Pathfinder has no such mention, so it should work the same as everything else.
Thats why the Intelligence-boosting magical items grant you ranks in a certain skill. Its raising your Intelligence, and giving you more skill points. (Its only in a specific skill to prevent abuse - prevents you from taking off the item, then putting it back on and reassigning those skill points into another skill.)
More prudently, as per the guidelines in the Bestiary, I've increases the character's ability scores by +4, +4, +2, +2, +0, and -2 before adding class levels; one of those +4's went to INT; does he get these extra skill ranks for his racial HD, or only for his subsequent class levels?
Skill points are earned for all racial or class hit dice.
Anyway. This does beg a question I never really had an answer to. In d20/PFRGP, are actual increases to Intelligence retroactive as far as how many skill points you get? IE, does a 4th level character whose INT increases from 13 to 14 suddenly have 4 extra skill points to spend? Or do these increases only affect levels earned thereafter?In Pathfinder, skills points are earned retroactively. A 4th level character who increases his intelligence from 13 to 14 does gain 4 skill points. 3.5 D&D specifically said skill points were not retroactive - Pathfinder has no such mention, so it should work the same as everything else.
Thats why the Intelligence-boosting magical items grant you ranks in a certain skill. Its raising your Intelligence, and giving you more skill points. (Its only in a specific skill to prevent abuse - prevents you from taking off the item, then putting it back on and reassigning those skill points into another skill.)
More prudently, as per the guidelines in the Bestiary, I've increases the character's ability scores by +4, +4, +2, +2, +0, and -2 before adding class levels; one of those +4's went to INT; does he get these extra skill ranks for his racial HD, or only for his subsequent class levels?Skill points are earned for all racial or class hit dice.
Thank ye' kindly!